Our road trip to Savannah, Georgia

For an early birthday present, Emily and I took a road trip to Savannah. We, of course, ate at Paula Deen's restaurant. The Lady & Sons was so delicious! So in honor of our visit there, here are some of our favorite items and a recipe for hoecakes (above picture) we tried when we came home.

After getting up early to stand in line for more than an hour, we finally got our reservations to eat lunch!

My absolute favorite things to eat there were hoecakes and cheddar biscuits. My mom actually bought me a Paula Deen hoecake pan a while back, so after trying the original I had to make them when I got home! The recipe is at the bottom, and it is just like the ones they serve at the restaurant.

I am a sucker for lemonade, and The Lady & Sons' fresh squeezed lemonade was AMAZING! It was by far the best lemonade I have ever had. It was the perfect blend of sweet and tangy, and the fresh mint topped it off perfectly. It was so refreshing and paired perfectly with our down-home meal. So perfect that Emily and I both had about three glasses!

Emily had the buffet, and she said the fried chicken was delicious. I had fried shrimp and Jelly Roll's fries (hard to explain, but they are oval slices of potato with a thick breading ... aka yummy) The shrimp had a light batter, unlike most fried shrimp I have had, and it was slightly spicy.

To end the meal, Emily jumped on the banana pudding. She said it was the best she had ever had, and the homemade whipped topping was outstanding.

Our trip was amazing, and the food definitely contributed to that. If you ever have a chance to visit Savannah, make sure you stop by The Lady & Sons! The rumors are true – it's great!

The Lady & Sons Hoecakes

Yield: approximately 17 hoecakes

Ingredients:

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup self-rising cornmeal

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

butter for frying

1. Mix the first 7 ingredients well.

2. Heat butter in a skillet (cast iron or Paula's hoecake pan) over medium heat.

3. Drop mixture into hot skillet by tablespoonfuls, using about 2 tablespoons per hoecake.

4. Brown until crisp, then turn and brown other side.

5. Drain hoecakes on paper towels. Save leftover batter in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

6. Serve hoecakes warm either plain or with your favorite condiment such as maple syrup or jam. They are delicious with strawberry jam for breakfast or with honey for dessert!

Enjoy!